Confessions of a first-time mummy: My big baby buys

I didn’t realise how much stuff one teeny tiny human needed so soon after coming out of the womb. Let’s be honest, they’ve spent nine months swallowing their own urine and tugging at the one thing that allows them to breathe, so why is it that we need so much stuff when the baby is here?

Half of it I think we’re brainwashed into thinking is a necessity because there’s no right or wrong way to bring up a child (apparently) but, nevertheless, I want only the best of the best for my little angel. And if splashing out £120 on a pillow that has even a 10 per cent chance of allowing me a better night’s sleep then I’m willing to take the risk!

So… here are the big purchases I’ve made for my little lady. Some of these I’ve been kindly given by friends/family/brands and some of them I’ve managed to get second hand or at a reduced price. Obviously my daughter isn’t here yet so I’ve no idea whether they’ve got my vote but I have done extensive research on different brands/styles and these were the best I found.

** If you click the subheadings in red, it’ll take you straight to the sites to buy the items! **

I initially had my heart set on the Silver Cross Pioneer travel system because my mum used a Silver Cross when my brother and I were babies so it was the only brand I really knew anything about. But, after doing some research and looking at the pram in the shop, I didn’t think it was suitable for my lifestyle and I found it to be quite flimsy and plastically considering the £900 price tag!

I live down in Sussex so walking along the beach and up the downs is a common thing for me, so I needed a robust pram that was going to withstand the uneven surfaces. I obviously haven’t tried and tested the Bugaboo yet but the reviews are fantastic and it’s really easy to push around. I can also switch up the wheels for off-roading so there will be plenty of dog walks this winter!

There are only a select few car seats that fit the Bugaboo and, although I probably won’t use it a whole lot when it comes to attaching it to the pram base – unless I’m picking something up in the supermarket and don’t want to wake her up – the safety features on it as a car seat (btw babies aren’t meant to spend longer than two hours in there at a time) are really high spec. And, obviously, as a mother I want to make sure my little angel is nice and protected if something were to happen.

It took me a while to buy a bouncer because I knew what type I wanted but couldn’t seem to find the one I had envisioned (or made up) in my head. I wanted one that I could put her in and it would swing from side to side, play white noise, vibrate and switch off by itself after a certain amount of time. I then saw the one I wanted on Charlotte Lianne Smith‘s Instagram Story and just had to buy it. It arrived within two days and has already been set up and demonstrated to my whole family!

The baby monitor was one of the last things I bought for the bub because I honestly had no idea which one to go for and I wanted to make sure I found the one that would suit me. There are so many brands, such a vast price and some of them really are all singing and dancing.

I initially wanted a sensor pad with sound and video but after talking to a few people I realised that the sensor pad would probably make me even more anxious. I have a crib downstairs and one in my bedroom so she’ll always be near me and once she goes into her own room she won’t need the sensor pad anymore anyway.

So with the sensor pad off the spec, I had to find one that had sound and video. I wanted one that came with its own parent screen but one that could also connect to my phone. The one I went for is currently £100 on offer from £140, it has infrared night vision, zoom & tilt, it plays lullabies, has talk back, a room temperature gauge and it’s in the 2018 list of best baby monitors.

Obviously I’ll do a full review on the monitor once I’ve used it but the spec seemed perfect for me so fingers crossed it does what it says it does!

The Sleepyhead is probably the one item I have heard the most conflicting views on. Some people swear by them and others say they’re dangerous or their babies wouldn’t sleep in them. I did a lot of research on the product and they are safe – providing they’re supervised! A newborn baby can’t wriggle around too much anyway so they won’t be getting their face wedged against the cushion until they’re about 5-6 months old and, by that time, they probably won’t be reliant on it anyway!

I’m not going to beat around the bush, it is expensive for a pillow but I’m already preparing myself for my daughter to be extra clingy with me because she only has me so I figured she might like to feel all snuggled up at night time – especially as she’s just spent nine months curled up in my belly.

I was pretty adamant from the beginning of my pregnancy that I was going to breastfeed my baby. I knew I didn’t want her in my bed with me because I wriggle around too much and I didn’t want to accidentally roll over and squash her. I also don’t want to get her into the habit of sleeping in my bed because I think it’ll be harder to transition her into her own room later down the line.

However, I did want some kind of crib that had a co-sleeping feel to it. I spent months deliberating over the Snuzpod and the Chicco Next to Me. In the end I opted for the Chicco because I didn’t really like how square and box-like the Snuzpod was.

I think the main difference is that you can detach the bassinet of the Snuzpod and carry it around the house, but I have another crib set up downstairs that she will sleep in when I’m pottering about during the day and I’m quite a small person so lugging around the wooden bassinet won’t work for me! I just feel, personally, the Chicco will allow me to slide her in and out of bed easily when she needs a feed without killing my back!

As I mentioned before, I’m expecting my baby to be quite clingy with me but, being that I’m going to be a single mama, I will have to return to work quite quickly after she’s born. Luckily I work from home so I can still be with my baby all day but I thought having her attached to me while I worked on my laptop would keep her happy and allow me to get on with what I need to do.

I also walk a lot over the downs, along to my mum’s and along the seafront so I thought having her in the sling would be a lot easier than setting up the pram every single time I want to go out.

There are so many different slings available for a fraction of the price but the Caboo is made of sturdy cotton so will be comfortable for her, it will allow me to breastfeed her while she’s still in the sling and it’s suitable from birth regardless of her weight.

So I’m not sure how I’m going to get on with cloth nappies but, being that I’m vegan, I wanted to make sure that I was going down the most eco-friendly and natural route possible. I don’t like disposable because they’re usually laced with harsh chemicals that I don’t want my baby’s skin soaking up and they take 500 years to decompose!

The cloth nappies I went for were the Bambino Mio ones because I liked that you could adjust the size to suit your baby from birth right up until they’re 1-2 years old using the poppers. The world of cloth nappies is such a minefield because there are so many different brands, fits, styles etc but seeing as I’m a first time mum, I wanted to keep things as simple as possible.

The Bambino Mio nappies are all-in-ones, meaning I can just add another booster to it and pop in a liner if I know she’s expecting a poo and I don’t have to faff about adding a waterproof cover.

As I’ve said, I’m not sure how I’m going to get on with cloth nappies and, to be honest, the all-in-ones look fairly big for a newborn who is expected to weigh between 6-7lbs so I looked into a disposable brand that I could use when she’s first born to A) give me some time to adjust to motherhood and B) will be easier for the midwives to change her if I can’t in the beginning.

When you Google eco-friendly nappies you’ll find Naty Nappies come up straight away but I didn’t like how rough these felt on the skin. I will use them but I will add a liner to them to add some softness to her booty. The nappies I will be taking into hospital with me are the Kit and Kin ones. The nappies take four years to decompose, they have less chemicals and they’re cruelty-free.

I need to buy a breast pump but I’m going to wait until she’s here before I get that because I’m not sure if breastfeeding will work out for us. Obviously I’m determined to give it my all but I don’t want to spend £100-150 on a breast pump that I may not get round to using. However, if nursing goes according to plan then I will be purchasing the Medela breast pump.